Oxford Net Zero’s Post

“The transition poses a complex policy challenge: how can we rapidly and urgently decarbonise, while maintaining distributive, procedural and recognition justice? These goals are often in tension with one another.” The above quote is from the Nature Portfolio's sustainability section's new study that seeks to demystify the phenomenon of ‘just transition litigation.’ Below are three points that the evidence suggests: 📈 Just transition litigation is on the rise. By studying just transition litigation, we can better understand what just transition (or lack thereof) looks like in practice on the ground - as well as how to craft laws and policies that integrate consideration for justice. ⬆️ Just transition litigation against governments - and companies - will increase as we advance. In particular, due diligence laws and soft law instruments are used to hold companies to account for not applying a rights-based approach to their climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. ⚖️ People are not against the climate transition itself - but they want the transition to happen in a way that is fair. 🤝 Just transition litigation is not about disputing the need to advance urgently with the transition. Rather, it is about considering distributive justice (that certain people do not suffer disproportionate social and environmental impacts), procedural justice (that the processes through which decisions are made are fair), and recognition justice (that people most affected have a voice in decision-making). ❓Companies, now is the time to ask key questions: Are we ready if we have to face a just transition lawsuit? Are we proactively integrating just transition considerations into our climate adaptation and mitigation actions? Read our full summary here: https://lnkd.in/e8Ga3sH5 

The law is often a reflection of societal values and the best available science, but when it comes to sustainability, it reveals a troubling gap between our words and actions. Thom Wetzer, from the Oxford Sustainable Law Programme, argues that for the law to drive real progress, it must evolve to actively support sustainable practices through #interdisciplinary collaboration and education. Law is a powerful agent of change in the pursuit of climate justice. Thom's work highlights how legal systems can play a central role in creating a sustainable future. ⚖️🌍 #ClimateJustice #SustainableLaw #COP29 #LawAndClimate

The growing global trend of just transition litigation offers a unique window into how the operationalisation of just transition varies across countries. Understanding these crucial differences provides valuable insights for building consensus among Parties at the international level. In our new commentary Tiffanie Chan and Juliana Vélez-Echeverri examine how justice is considered in the transition to low-carbon and resilient societies. https://lnkd.in/ePJm3R_J

Indeed. Transition to net zero requires different market with different, transformed behaviours of economic actors. Therefore this is a big time for states to roll up sleeves and act as active shapers and designers of this new kind of market we need through effective regulation and incentives.

How well are current climate policies aligned with the Paris Agreement's net-zero target? Against the backdrop of ongoing climate negotiations in Baku, the Climate Policy Monitor, developed by some truly brilliant researchers at the Net Zero Regulation and Policy Hub alongside whom I have the pleasure of working, launched today at COP29! Good policy-making requires supporting data and on-the-ground evidence of what works. The Climate Policy Monitor is a first-of-its-kind open-access attempt to granularly map climate-related disclosure, transition planning, and public procurement policies across 30 jurisdictions against more than 250 data points, yielding significant insights about how ambitious these policies are, which entities they regulate, provisions for transparency and monitoring, and tons more! https://lnkd.in/gPmTf6yX

📣 We are proud to be among the 48 leading #lawfirms selected as pro bono partners by the University of Oxford to develop the Climate Policy Monitor, launched yesterday at COP29 Azerbaijan in Baku. CRCCD, with a team led by name partner Michele Crisostomo and partner Alessia Marconi, analyzed Italian policies and regulations in the domains of climate-related disclosure, transition planning and public procurement, mapping the most relevant Italian measures on #decarbonization. The CRCCD team comprised our Sofia Arata, Martina Baldi, Chiara Bazzarini, Maria Chiara Cappelli, Bianca Casini, Andrea Stefano Carrieri, Nicola Cataldo, Raffaella Ceglia, Costanza Chinnici, Giuliana Durand, Lorenzo Fiore, Elena Ghi, Lorenzo Giannico, Francesco Miranda, Gabriele Montanaro, Nicolò Orlich, Davide Pasqualotto, Giacomo Passeri, Nicolò Piccaluga, Francesca Ricciardi, Gabriele Romeo, Giulia Sforza, Pietro Stefani, Raffaela Tortora and Alessandro Zeppieri. Well done! #CRCCD #climatepolicymonitor #climaterelatedisclosure #transitionplanning #publicprocurement

Later today I will host a session at the International Bar Association Balkan Legal Forum in Sofia (Bulgaria) on ESG, which has become a critical success factor in a law firm's overall strategy. While I was working on the final details of this session, I came across this article in The Guardian. The call from António Guterres addresses a fundamental issue that many professional services firms, including the legal profession, are increasingly facing. Mental well-being, a weekly meat-free lunch, waste segregation, net-zero commitments and pro-bono work is all very important, but the most thorny issue is still too often skillfully avoided: who do you wish to work for, what type of work do you want to do and in what way? This kind of conversations requires a thorough and structured approach with at least also input from the most important stakeholder: Talent. In our DRB Search & Selectie | Strategie | Coaching practice, we see daily the increasing importance of the type of clients (incl. sectors and industries) and the type of work in relation to attracting and retaining talent. Now it is just the public relations and media companies...

📣 Join our upcoming interdisciplinary workshop, "Green Deal: Redefining Approaches, Shifting Methodologies," on the 3rd and 4th of June 2024 at the European University Institute. Check the program below, registration link: https://lnkd.in/ecf3GtDx "The European Green Deal has emerged as a pivotal agenda in recent years, encapsulating Europe’s concern for social and environmental transitions. It is presented as a paradigm shift , with a view to radically transforming the EU’s economy and society. This workshop aims to reflect on whether this instrument and the policies associated to it require a parallel methodological shift." This event organised by the Environmental Challenges and Climate Change Governance Interdisciplinary Research Cluster features a discussion on the European Green Deal with prominent experts in the field: Sabine Pitteloud, Brice Laurent, Pierre Jacques, Anna Beckers, Josephine van Zeben, Loic Azoulai, Antoine Vauchez, Vincent Reveillere, Emmanuel Mourlon-Druol, Pierre Alayrac. Really looking forward! EUI Law Department GIS Euro-Lab

James Signor of the #Leydig Frankfurt office co-authored the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) Law Journal’s new white paper entitled "Intellectual Property, Sustainability and Climate Change." This paper provides a primer to the patent practitioner wishing to apprehend the intersection of climate change and patents and aims to provide a global glance of these initiatives. https://lnkd.in/gXcNHJEV

#SB60 June Meetings The upcoming session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) - #SB60 Are you interested in climate change litigation and its impact on corporations? Then you need to know about #SB60! 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 #𝐒𝐁60? It refers to a potential decision by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) – a key body under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The 60th Sessions of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Bodies (also called the 2024 Bonn Climate Change Conference) will build on the many mandates that emerged at #COP28 in Dubai, and aim to drive forward progress on key issues and prepare decisions for adoption at the #COP29 UN Climate Change Conference in #Baku, #Azerbaijan, in November of 2024. The potential link to climate change litigation lies in the role of SBSTA. By providing the latest scientific consensus on climate change impacts, #SB60 could strengthen the legal foundation for lawsuits against governments and corporations. Here's how: (𝐢) 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Establishing a clear causal link between a defendant's actions (e.g., excessive emissions) and specific climate change impacts (e.g., sea level rise) is crucial in climate litigation. #SB60's scientific assessments can solidify this link. (𝐢𝐢) 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞: The growing body of scientific evidence can inform courts' understanding of the "duty of care" expected of governments and corporations regarding climate change. #SB60's findings may influence how courts assess the "reasonableness" of a defendant's actions. (𝐢𝐢𝐢) 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞: SBSTA's scientific reports raise public awareness about climate change urgency. This can bolster public support for climate litigation and pressure corporations and governments to adopt more sustainable practices. The outcomes of #SB60 could have a significant impact on the future of climate change litigation. #climatelaw #SBSTA #climatechange #litigation #StayInformed #ClimateJustice